Method of manufacturing fence-posts.



A. A. KRAMER.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING FENCE POSTS. APPLIGATION FILED MAY 10, 1912.

1, 1 1 1,909. Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

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A TTORNE Y THE AOPRIQ P -TFRS CO. PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. C,

unrrnn STATESPATENT onruon.

ANDREW A. KRAMER, on Kansas cI'rY, KANSAS.

METHOD or ivmnurncrunine runes-Poems.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

Application filed. May 10, 1912. Serial No. 696,475. i

erence being had to the accompanying draw ings, and to the letters andfigures of refer ence marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to a methodof manufacturing concrete fence posts,and has for its object to provide a method of manufacture whereby postsmay be molded quickly and cheaply, and adapted, during the moldingprocess, for receiving wire fasteners. In accomplishing these, andotherobjects, which will be disclosed in the following description, Ihave provided the improved details of structure hereinafter describedand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: i

Figure I is a view of a post, constructed according to my invention,showing fence wires in place, and showing part of the casing broken awayto disclose the concrete contained therein. Fig. II is an enlargedvertical section of parts of the post, showing the reinforcing wires,and fastener opening,

and showing one of the fasteners in place and holding a fence wire. Fig.III is a vertical section of the mold in pouring position, withreinforcing wires in place. Fig. IV is a longitudinal section of aportion of the mold, showing the means for forming an aperture forreceiving a wire fastening member. Fig. V is a detail View of apreferred form of fastening member. Fig. VI is a view of a number ofnested molds.

Referring more in detail to the parts 1 designates a mold or form whichmay be composed of sheet metal, stiff paper, or other material whichwill hold its shape while concrete is poured thereinto and while theconcrete is becoming set or hardened. The form is tapered at one end andprovided with apertures 2, arranged in pairs, at opposite sides of theform, so that a spike or rod 3 may be projected through the aperturesand extended across the interior of the form, so that concrete may bepoured therearound. There may be as many pairs of the apertures 2 asmaybe necessary to carry a I desired number of fence Wires and theapertures may be spaced longitudinally on the post to correspond withthe spacing desired for the fence wires.

{t designates reinforcing rods, or wires,

which extend longitudinally through the center of the form, or mold, andare woven over the spikes 3 so that they follow a tortuous paththroughout the length of the postand are held in the center of the form.

In order to prevent the reinforcing members frol'nmoving. laterally'along the spikes priorto the pouring of the concrete, I make the formapertures 2 of sufficient diameter to receive the tubular members 5which are adapted to surround the spikes 8, so that when thelatter havebeen positioned the tubes may be moved into the form from 013- pcsitesides thereof so that their inner ends w ll abut against the relnforcmgmembers and move thelatter to the center of the form.

. In actual practice, I provide a frame, (not shown) within which anumber of forms 1 may be mounted, with their smaller ends pointeddownwardly. Viththe forms in this position and with means provided forstopping the lower ends of the forms, the reinforcing wires 4 are placedwithin the forms and the spikes 3 projected throughthe apertures 2 thatthey extend alternately on opposite sides of the reinforcing members.After-the spikes are in place, the tubes 5 are placed on the oppositeends of the spikes and moved through the form apertures to center thereinforcing members. With the parts so arranged, concrete is poured intothe large upper ends of the forms so that it surrounds the reinforcingmembers and spikes and fills the form. The material is then left toharden or set, and at the proper time, or before the material hascompletely hardened, the tubes and spikes 3 are withdrawn to leave thetransverse apertures 6 through which wire fastening members may beextended when the post is finally erected.

hen the post is set in the ground the fence wires 7 are strungtherealong and fastener members 8, preferably comprising staples havingexpanded heads 9, which projectovcr the fence strands and through theapertures 6, the staples or fasteners being of such length that theirfree ends will project through the post and may be bent back to formkeepers l0.

It is apparent that the forms, or molds, may be made up at the factoryand shipped to the place where they are to be used, the taperedconstruction enabling them to be nested as illustrated in Fig. VI, sothat they may be compactly arranged for shipping or storing. The formsmay then be set up near the place they are to be used and filled withconcrete, as many forms as are to be used'being filled at the same timeif necessary, as the user does not need to empty the form after one posthas been made in order to use it for another post. i

By having the shell or form used vas part of the post, the material doesnot need. to be left to become hardened as long as if the post wererequired to carry itself, as the form will hold the material, whereas ifthe form were removed the material might not have suflicient strength toretain its shape.

It is apparent that any material having suiiicient body to hold itsshape While the concrete is being poured and set will answer for theform, as even should the shell crumble or rust within a short time afterit is set in the ground the post would not be materially affected, asthe wasting of the shell would merely expose the solid reinforced pHaving thus described my invention, what Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I claimas new therein and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is 1. The methodof manufacturing fence posts consisting in providing a form, havingopenings therein, arranging reinforcing members longitudinally withinthe form, projecting spikes through openings in the form and alternatelyon opposite sides of the reinforcing members, filling the form withconcrete to embed the reinforcing members, withdrawing the spikes beforethe concrete has set, and allowing the concrete to set, whereby the formis made an integral part of the post.

2. The method of manufacturing fence posts consisting in providing aform having openings therein, arranging reinforcii'lg within the form,projecting spikes through the form openings, projecting tubular membersover the spikes and against the reinforcing to center the latter,filling the form with concrete, removing the tubular members and spikesbefore the concrete has set, and allowing the concrete to set wherebythe form is made an integral part of the post.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW A. KRAMER.

Witnesses:

W. F. ROGERS, F. W. S'rosnnno.

Patents,

Washington, D. C.

